This invention relates to an improved universal V-belt for connecting a pair of rotatable pulleys, such as a fan belt for an automobile engine.
A frequent problem encountered by motorists is the failure of the fan belt during the operation of the vehicle, requiring that the driver stop until repair or replacement of the belt is accomplished. This situation can be aggravated when the belt breaks miles from a service station or repair shop, or if the station does not have an appropriately sized belt in stock.
In many conventional engines, if the fan belt is to be replaced, at least one of the two pulleys about which the belt is connected must be loosened from its mounting and moved toward the other pulley so that a continuous loop-type replacement belt can be draped over the pulleys.
To overcome this deficiency, temporary adjustable V-belts, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,666 to Seredick, have been proposed, wherein first and second ends of a belt, comprising a male and female end, respectively, are coupled by longitudinally interlocking a plurality of laterally disposed inclined teeth near the male end with a plurality of laterally disposed grooves near the female end. Openings are provided in the surface of the belt through which the excess portion of the male end is extended after insertion into the female end.
A disadvantage of the adjustable belt disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,666 is that the male end is tapered in thickness for a short length away from the terminal end thereof for ease of insertion into the female end. In the event the belt is to be used to replace a belt connecting two pulleys relatively close to one another, it may be necessary to cut off so much of the male end that the entire tapered end is removed, thereby rendering it difficult, or perhaps impossible, to insert the male end into the female end.
An alternative form of replacement belt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,766 to Beck. The belt comprises a length of flexible polymeric material, one end of which is reduced in cross-section relative to the rest of the belt to define a male end. The opposite end has a longitudinal channel, equal in length to the male end, to define a female end. After the belt is extended around the two pulleys to be coupled, the excess female end is severed therefrom. An equal length of the male end is then removed. Preferably after the application of a suitable polymeric glue, the male end is inserted into the female end until the male end abuts the inner end wall of the longitudinal channel. The connected ends thus define a continuous loop solid throughout.
A disadvantage of the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,766 is that, if an error is made in cutting the belt, thus leaving too much of either the male or female end, the belt ends when connected will have either a gap between the terminal end of the male end and the inner end wall of the channel, or the end faces of the belt at the ends of the male and female portions opposite the terminal ends of the portions will not meet, thus leaving a band of belt having a reduced cross-section relative to the rest of the belt. Furthermore, once the male end is covered with glue and inserted into the female end, it may be difficult or impossible to remove it and recut the belt, if possible, to the correct length.
A further disadvantage of both of the above belts is that, owing to the tapered end of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,666 patent, and the preformed male end and female channel of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,766 patent, the belts are only suitable for replacement or repair of belts around pulleys located within a particular range of distances relative to each other. Accordingly, it may be necessary to have more than one size of the belts made in accordance with either of the above prior art patents to accommodate different sets of pulleys depending upon their relative distances.